Safety

The Gap in Safety Culture

Making Immigrant Culture, and Language compatable with Safety Culture

Many Great companies committed to a strong safety culture invest great amount of resources and money in an effort to save lives and reduce injuries. Many studies have proven that for every $1 invested in safety, $6 is saved from the cost of injuries not to mention improved production and efficiency.

However, many companies employ a large percentage of immigrant employees resulting in unique problems. Say 20% or more of your employees speak little English. Unless the safety program is presented to them in their own language, that 20% or more will fail to reap the benefits of a great safety program. 20% or more people likely to have costly injuries.

Immigrant groups tend to stick together. They often quietly show respect to coworkers, but have an attitude of us v. them. They often believe that safety programs are a requirement for compliance and apply to Americans. They believe that in order to keep their job, they must work harder, produce more and cut corners. This is a common belief expressed within their private group but never expressed publicly.

These negative beliefs along with language barriers often means that immigrant workers fail to fully integrate in a well developed safety culture.

If you observe higher percentage of injuries among immigrant employees why not give us a call to see if we can help you fix the gap.

Customized Programs:

Why pay four times for one class?

If an interpreter is needed for a 10 hour or 30 construction or general industry class, OSHA requires that the interpreter be knowledgeable in safety. This dramatically limits the interpreters that can be used. When an interpreter is required, the class must be twice as long to cover all the information. All employees out of work twice the time plus added cost of instructor and interpreter.

Jeff is not only a CCHI certified healthcare interpreter, but he also is an OSHA authorized trainer with the knowledge and experience in English and Spanish.

Covered Topics

Introduction to OSHA

Record Keeping and Reporting of Injuries and Illnesses.

General Safety and Health Provisions.

Occupational Health and Environmental Controls.

Personal Protective and Life saving Equipment.

Fire Protection and Prevention

Signs, Signals, and Barricades.

Materials Handling, Storage, Use,and Disposal.

Tools Hand and Power.

Welding and Cutting.

Electrical.

Scaffolds

Cranes and Derricks in Construction

Fall Protection.

Excavations.

Concrete and Masonry Construction.

Steel Erection

Demolition

Stairways and Ladders

Toxic and Hazardous Substances.

Common Industry problems are:

(1) Higher cost due to longer meeting times with interpreters.

(2) Miscommunications with employees lacking English skills

(3) Low morale.

(4)Costly work injuries.

(5)Hefty fines.

(6)High workers comp fees.

Why use us for language & safety?

Complete Spanish language fluency

OSHA Authorized

Cost savings

Commitment to excellence

Expert in the industry

Experience

Did you know?

789 Hispanic or Latino workers were killed from work related injuries in 2014. On average there were more than 15 deaths a week or two Latinos killed every single day, all year long!

At nearly 23 million, people of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity represented 15 percent of the U.S. labor force in 2011. By 2020, Latinos are expected to comprise 19 percent of the U.S. labor force.